Motor including a yoke with an increased thickness portion and a decreased thickness portion and disk drive apparatus including the motor

Abstract

A motor that rotates an annular member includes a stationary portion including a stator, and a rotating portion arranged to be rotatable about a central axis extending in a vertical direction. The rotating portion includes a hub extending in an annular shape around the central axis; a magnet including a pole surface arranged radially opposite to the stator; and a yoke to which the magnet is fixed. The yoke includes a yoke increased thickness portion arranged radially outside of the magnet; and a yoke decreased thickness portion with a radial thickness smaller than that of the yoke increased thickness portion, and arranged axially above the yoke increased thickness portion. The yoke decreased thickness portion is fixed to the hub annular portion through press fitting.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A motor arranged to rotate an annular member, the motor comprising:
 a stationary portion including a stator; and 
 a rotating portion arranged to be rotatable about a central axis extending in an axial direction; wherein 
 the rotating portion includes:
 a hub arranged to extend in an annular shape around the central axis; 
 a magnet including a pole surface arranged radially opposite to the stator; and 
 a yoke to which the magnet is fixed; 
 
 the hub includes:
 a hub annular portion in a shape of a circular ring and arranged above the stator; and 
 a flange surface on which the annular member is arranged; 
 
 the yoke includes:
 a yoke increased thickness portion arranged radially outside of the magnet, the yoke increased thickness portion extending continuously from a radially innermost surface of the yoke to a radially outermost surface of the yoke; and 
 a yoke decreased thickness portion arranged to have a total radial thickness smaller than a total radial thickness of the yoke increased thickness portion, and arranged axially above the yoke increased thickness portion, the yoke decreased thickness portion extending continuously from the radially innermost surface of the yoke to the radially outermost surface of the yoke; and 
 the yoke decreased thickness portion is fixed to the hub annular portion through press fitting. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein a position at which the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other is axially spaced from an upper end of the yoke increased thickness portion. 
     
     
       3. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the yoke decreased thickness portion is fixed to the hub annular portion through press fitting at one axial position. 
     
     
       4. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other at an axial position which is axially higher than an axial position which is axially below an upper end of the yoke decreased thickness portion by two thirds of a total axial dimension of the yoke decreased thickness portion. 
     
     
       5. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the yoke increased thickness portion is arranged to be in contact with a lower surface of the hub annular portion. 
     
     
       6. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the radial thickness of the yoke decreased thickness portion is arranged to be equal to or smaller than a half of the radial thickness of the yoke increased thickness portion. 
     
     
       7. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hub annular portion includes a hub bottom plate portion arranged to have a radial width greater than that of the flange surface; and 
 a position at which the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other is arranged to radially overlap with the hub bottom plate portion. 
 
     
     
       8. The motor according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the hub bottom plate portion includes at least one groove portion recessed upward from a lower surface of the hub bottom plate portion; and 
 the at least one groove portion is arranged to have a total radial width equal to or smaller than a half of the radial width of the hub bottom plate portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hub annular portion includes a hub projecting portion arranged to project downward from a lower surface of the hub annular portion; 
 the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other at a position higher than the lower surface of the hub annular portion; and 
 an upper surface of the magnet is arranged to be in contact with a lower surface of the hub projecting portion. 
 
     
     
       10. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the yoke includes a yoke projecting portion arranged to project radially inward from an upper portion of the yoke increased thickness portion; 
 an upper surface of the yoke projecting portion is arranged to be in contact with a lower surface of the hub annular portion; and 
 a lower surface of the yoke projecting portion is arranged to be in contact with an upper surface of the magnet. 
 
     
     
       11. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the hub annular portion includes a hub projection portion arranged to project toward the yoke at a position at which the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other. 
     
     
       12. The motor according to  claim 11 , wherein the hub projection portion is arranged to extend over an entire circumferential extent of the hub annular portion. 
     
     
       13. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hub annular portion includes a recessed portion recessed radially inward at a position at which the hub annular portion and the yoke decreased thickness portion are radially opposite to each other; and 
 the motor further comprises an adhesive arranged in at least a portion of a gap between the hub annular portion and the yoke decreased thickness portion, the at least a portion of the gap including the recessed portion. 
 
     
     
       14. The motor according to  claim 13 , wherein an upper surface of the adhesive is defined at a position higher than a position at which the yoke and the hub annular portion are fixed to each other. 
     
     
       15. The motor according to  claim 13 , wherein a lower surface of the adhesive is arranged to radially overlap with the recessed portion. 
     
     
       16. The motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the hub is made of an aluminum-based metal, and the yoke is made of an iron-based metal. 
     
     
       17. A disk drive apparatus comprising:
 the motor of  claim 1 ; 
 an access portion arranged to perform at least one of reading and writing of information from or to a disk supported by the flange surface of the motor, the disk being the annular member; and 
 a housing arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the motor and the access portion.